Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-23
THE HOUSEHOLD.



lDr. Titus Munson Coan in llarper's Bazarl
would rather undertake TO prevent a
hundred colds than TO cure one. Tonics,
local applications, cutting short the COM
plant at the outset, or chasing it up after
it has got the start Of you-all these plans
may be tried, and sometimes they succeed
very nicely. But the trouble is that cold
is a law unto itself, self limited disease
like any other inAammatory fever, and the
chances are that if the cold has even six
hours the start of you, it will run faster
than the spriest doctor. So will say moth
ing here about curing colds but will be
reasonable enough to point out II way that
is little known of preventing them.
What is the cause of cold 1t is usu
ally the effect of cool draught upon II
limited part of the body, or of IA lowered
temperature even where, as in the case of
the feet, the air does not directly reach the
part that is exposed to danger The pro
tected parts of the body are naturally the
most sensitive, and it is through these that
we catch cold. And of all other parts, the
feet, especially in the case of the sedentary,
are the most frequent avenues of approach
for this complaint.
The artificial tenderness of the skin,
which is the lot of civilized man, causes all
of us to be more or less liable to an ailment
which is comparatively unknown to those
inhabitants of warm climates who take no
interest in the fashions, and who have only
heard from the missionaries that clothes are
IA good thing.
But we cannot return to such n primitive
immunity as this. What shall we do mean
while, if we would tougher ourselves
against the artificial tenderness that makes
life during our cold winters for many of us
grave discomfort, and one that is coupled
with the risk of pneumonia and of other
serious illnesses The question is, how to
cure the excessive sensitiveness of the skin
General cold baths will do for the healthy,
but they will not do for all and indeed al
most any one, strong or delicate, will be the
better for the treatment that will describe
1t is a cold foot-ba of two or three min
utes, more or less, according to the time
required to make smart impression upon
the superficial nerves this is the one thing
needful in this matter In the winter the
water as it runs from the faucet will gem
orally be cold enough for the needed effect,
it, as in new York, it flows at a temperature
of from so to 80 Fair But it may well
be colder than this and in summer, using
ice to cool the foot BATH there will be no
harm in bringing it down to 40. The point
is make a decided impression of cold, and
a few minutes will do this. Let the feet
stay in the water or under the jet until the
very bones ache then rub them with a
crash towel, and wrap them up warmly,
and it will not be more than a minute, as a
rule, before the delightful warm glow of
the reaction. Seldom, even in the case of
the most delicate persons, does this glow
fail to come. The advantage of this treat
ment is that it is not severe, rs the cold
bath is for many. The amount of surface
exposed to the cold is so small that very lit
tie draft is made upon the system and the
person who would never have a reaction
after a cold bath is easily able to profit by
this local treatment. OF course no batl
must be used without regard to times ant
seasons but the fear which some delicat,
persons have of this treatment is unbound
ed, for the constitution rarely fails to honor
so light demand upon it as that which il
made by cold foot bath of two or tire,
minutes. If the beginner is very timd
its duration may be even less than this a
the start or until the eXperimenter find
out what safe yet potent remedy is il
hand.
What is the effect of this simple treat
ment 1t gives the feet power to resis
cold it toughens them, not exteriorly, bu
i'll the tonic quality of their superficial
nerves. And it accomplishes this result
with wonderful quickness. l have know
delicate ladies who complained that thei
feet were never warm, and who were sui
ject to frequent colds, restored to thei
pristine birthright of warm feet after tw
or three trials of this treatment and afte
a week of it well fortified against draught,
at least upon their feet. A lady patient {
mine, though otherwise quite healthy, wa
, so liable to catch severe cold on the Sigh
1 est exposure of her feet to the draughts {
D the floor that she always managed to perc
/, them upon the rungs of her chair, or otl
+ erwise to curl them up under her in son
\ way out of reach of the air current, fea
ing even the draft of an August day in he
$ country house. She let them down to IL
ground with secure temerity after the Sc
! ond trial of the FOOT bath and since thu
time, renewing the treatment two or thr,
}, times a week, she has never caught cold.
5 mention her case not because it is exception
IS al, but because it is typical. She sutfert
. as thousands of others suffer, In the who
range of hygiene know of no simpler al
It more efficaciOus treatment than the co
It foot bath. 1t will make the feet perm
d nently warm, and it will prevent a larl
C proportion of all colds, because considerab
% more than half of all are the result
# draughts upon the feet. 1t should be co
|, tinued occasionally, as it may be needed
For those that take cold otherwise tn,
through the feet--and there are many ct
err ways that are easy enough, as most
IL us have found out--the familiar precept
4 baths and of exercise in the open air mt
v be repeated, do you catch cold by expo
3 ing your face to the air :" said an Ind
e, sachem to one of the Puritan captains
v Thomas Munson, of New Haven, | think
- Never" said Nunson,
+ "Well, our bodies are all face" And
IN so far ms we can make our bodies "all fac
er by exposure to cold, we shall be free frc
II the civilized ailment of colds
~ Smart Children.